Roof Raking Love
by fredsavage
Summary: Maura and Jane are having a baby...
1. Chapter 1

Maura sets the travel mug on the hall table before pulling on her winter parka. Initially she'd turned her nose up at the purple down-filled long coat but the winter had been brutal and it was amazingly warm.

She carefully zips her coat and tugs on the gray cashmere beanie that Jane had gotten her to go with the scarf wound round her neck. She steps into her sturdy winter boots by the door, grabs the mug and steps gently out into the winter cold.

Taking a breath of the refreshing fresh air she steps off the porch and gingerly makes her way around the side of the house. Jane has been roof raking for the past hour and Maura knows she's probably ready to be done. Her hands always ache in this cold, no matter what kind of amazing mittens or gloves Maura thinks she's found.

Maura sighs and shakes her head as she continues around the house purposely stepping in the tracks Jane left.

She stops to admire Jane's lanky form clad in black fleece and black snow pants as she rhythmically uses the long roof rake to remove snow from their garage.

Getting closer she doesn't want to startle her.

"Hey sweetie, I brought you something hot to drink," she calls out.

Jane turns to her smiling, her cheeks pink with cold, her eyes dancing.

"Hey. Hey, you shouldn't be out here, you could fall, it's too cold, it's slippery," Jane playfully admonishes her partner, eyes twinkling.

Maura just rolls her eyes as Jane continues, "But please tell me that's coffee or cocoa or better yet both."

Maura leans into her detective laughing and leaves a kiss on cold lips.

"Easy and it is both." She hands over the mug. "And for your information, I know the 'go outside in winter' rules. See?" She twirls around slowly, showing off her attire.

Jane is chuckling, "I know, it's just that…" she trails off.

Interrupting Jane's thought, "And for that matter I'm not an invalid or dying. I am pregnant." Maura says stepping ever closer to Jane. "How are your hands?" She asks reaching for Jane's free hand.

"Seven and a half months pregnant with our child." Jane says playfully laying her hand on Maura's round belly through her parka.

Maura covers Jane's hand with both of hers. "I know, I'm careful."

Jane nods.

"Well…_**we'd**_ like to know when you are coming in, if you are almost done?"

Jane takes another long sip of her drink. "Fifteen minutes? Pick a movie to watch and make us popcorn?" Jane says hopefully.

"That we can do. Want me to take that?" pointing to the travel mug.

"Nah, I'll just set it down." She leans into kiss Maura squarely on the mouth. Maura sighs into Jane's mouth.

"Hmmm, hurry up." Maura says pulling back and heading away from her grinning detective.

"No documentaries!" Jane calls after her retreating partner.

"You hope." Maura yells back, causing Jane to laugh even more.

A couple of hours later, Jane and Maura sit side by side on the couch, a mostly empty bowl of popcorn balanced on their laps, the end credits of a movie scrolling down the TV screen.

Jane's hand is on the warm bare skin of Maura's belly under her fleece, she turns to place the popcorn bowl on the coffee table.

"Maura?" Jane asks, twirling the diamond engagement ring on Maura's finger.

"Hmmm?" She's switching through the channels looking for something else to watch.

"Let me marry you before our baby is born?"

"No."

"Come on, you're not that big." Jane tries rubbing soothing circles on Maura's swollen stomach. Every now and then she can feel the faint movement of their son from within. They have had this argument before many times. Jane can't resist one more try.

Maura turns to look at Jane, she's smiling, "I _am_ that big and besides I've told you I want to wear an amazing dress and new Jimmy Choo's and drink wine, delicious wine and dance at our wedding. Not waddle down the aisle and drink spritzer."

Jane can't help but laugh deep in her chest at Maura's words.

"OK, OK, sweetie." She says between bubbles of laughter. She stands up to bring the popcorn bowl into the kitchen. "As long as you still want to marry me sometime…" Jane says with a smirk.

Maura reaches over the back of the sofa for Jane's slim wrist, wraps her warm fingers around it.

"Baby, of course I want to marry you. You are the only one for me."

"Good." Jane leaves a scorching kiss on Maura's warm lips, their tongues tangling.

Heart pounding, "If you give me a head start, I'll meet you in the bedroom." Maura says breathlessly.

Jane picks up her head, eyes dark with desire, "Done."


	2. Chapter 2

Sitting at her desk Jane hears the familiar clicking of heels, albeit lower heels these days. Being more than 8 months pregnant has limited her partner's shoe choices, much to her chagrin.

These days Maura is increasingly annoyed by the lack of 'fashionable low heels'. And Jane knows cranky pregnant Maura is no fun.

Admittedly Maura has actually been pretty amazingly even keeled, a freak out here or there but even in-utero, Bennett Frank Rizzoli-Isles has been a good baby.

Jane smiles at the warm hand on her shoulder, smells her grapefruity perfume.

Maura kisses Jane's cheek, stands up, "Hey. Where are the guys?"

Jane finishes filling out the file on her desk, "What? Oh I guess they headed to lunch."

Jane turns to look at Maura's broad grin, her deep purple trench coat. Leaning forward to kiss Maura's belly briefly, "You look beautiful today."

Maura chuckles, kissing the top of Jane's head, "Are you sucking up? I promise to buy you lunch. Don't worry."

As if on cue, Jane's stomach rumbles. Closing the file on her desk, "Then I guess I'm ready." She says smiling widely at her partner.

"OK, we have one stop to make before food. Would that be alright?" Maura says.

"Whatever you say boss." Jane grabs her own pea coat and then Maura's hand as they head out talking of their day so far, the new autopsy, how Maura is feeling, if Jane had gotten all her paperwork done, shopping lists…

Before Jane knows it they are at "their" bench across the street in the park. Spring is just beginning to show itself, the snow is finally melting, and it had been in the fifties the last few days, sun shining. Maura drags Jane down to sit next to her on the bench.

"Maura, is everything OK? What's going on?" Worry lines etching her forehead, Jane asks.

Absently, Maura reaches up and uses her thumbs to smooth them out.

"Nothing bad, Jane. Good I hope."

Taking a big breath and beginning, "The thing is I had a dream, a very vivid dream, last weekend about us and Bennett and our life…" Maura is staring out ahead, her fingers tangling again with Jane's.

"Was it bad? Why didn't you tell me?" Jane can't help but interrupt softly.

Not paying attention to Jane, Maura continues "…and Bennett was born and he was so handsome, dark eyes and a shock of dark hair but…" Maura's voice lowers a bit a she continues, "They wouldn't let you in. They said you weren't his mom. We weren't married and they didn't believe me when I told them and I was alone and you were so hurt and…"

Maura finally turns to look at her beloved, she wipes Jane's tears first and then her own with her fingertips. Jane turns to take both of Maura's hands in her own, giving them a squeeze.

"And then what happened?" Jane asks quietly, her chest tight.

Maura leans in and leaves a small kiss on Jane's lips before continuing, "Well, it all worked out in the dream in the end. Your mom actually came in and put up a big stink and went right over the doctor's head and…"

They both laugh as some of the tension is relieved.

"But what I realized that I want to marry you before this baby is born. I want to be your wife. I want you to be mine, so…" Maura turns more, squeezing Jane's hands in hers, rubbing soothing circles on her palms.

Maura clears her throat, " Jane Angela Rizzoli, will you marry me, today, at the courthouse in a half hour, with our friends and family? Will you?" She reaches in her coat pocket and pulls out a matching engagement ring to hers –holds it towards Jane.

Jane's eyes are wide and teary, her mouth opening and closing like a fish.

Maura can't help but laugh at her partner, watching the play of emotions flit across her face.

"I know this isn't the Gardner Museum and fancy dinner and that amazing dress like your proposal but…will you?"

Jane looks down at the ring and then up into Maura's smiling face, her eyes glistening with love and joy.

"This afternoon?"

Maura nods, "And I got us the rest of the weekend off too."

"Really? You'll marry me? Today?"

"Yes."

"What about the amazing dress and shoes and wine? I want you to have those things too."

"Jane." Maura reaches forward to take Jane's face in her hands. "We can renew our vows this summer. Dress. Shoes. Delicious wine. This is for us, our child, now."

"Yes." Jane whispers against Maura's lips.


	3. Chapter 3

Walking up the steps of the courthouse Jane spies a familiar couple on the top of the steps.

She sees the taller blonde smooth the lapels and fuss with the collar of the shorter, very pregnant brunette's coat. The brunette smiles indulgently at the blonde, before leaning in to leave a short kiss on her lips.

Jane chuckles and squeezes Maura's hand.

"Is that what we look like when you fuss with my shirt and blazer?" Jane gestures with her free hand and points at the couple at the top of the steps.

Maura looks up, smiling, "Mhmm."

"You got Kate and Sarah to come?"

"Of course, who else would stand up with us?"

Nearing their friends, "Thank you, sweetie." Jane leans in and leaves a kiss on Maura's grinning cheek.

Topping the last step, Jane says enthusiastically, "Ladies, how are you doing?" She lets go of Maura's hand and greets each woman with a bear hug.

"Jane, we wouldn't miss it." The tall blonde says before wrapping her long arms around Maura.

"Sarah…very glad you two could be here with us. And at the last minute." Maura murmurs into the woman's ear, accepting her tight hug.

"We would've come no matter what, well unless Kate here decided to birth our child." Sarah says stepping back from Maura, taking in her own pregnant belly. "How are _you_ feeling?"

"Oh, pretty well. I just feel so big." Maura answers before turning to Sarah's very pregnant partner, who is still ensconced in Jane's long arms.

Jane and Kate had been friends since high school, field hockey teammates, confidantes through college and the police academy. And Kate and Sarah were Maura's favorite of Jane's friends, "their" friends now. When Maura and Jane first became friends, through the dating and figuring things out and now to babies and marriage, Kate and Sarah had been wonderful friends to her, valuable voices of reason, sources of laughter and often ran interference with Jane's mother. And she knew how important they were to Jane, especially Kate.

Turning more fully to the two women, "Come on Jane, let me have a turn."

"Yeah, Jane," comes the muffled response. "Let me go. We are _so_ not naming our daughter after you. Knock it off. You're squeezing, you rat." Kate says exasperated.

Everyone laughs as Kate extricates herself from Jane's arms and pouting face. She swats Jane playfully on the shoulder before saying, "Oh, you know I love you but my _wife_ and I will be naming our child."

Turning to Maura, who is laughing at the antics of her girlfriend, she wraps her arms around Maura in an awkward hug. "OK, Maura, last chance to get out of it."

Maura chuckles, "No, I'm afraid she's stuck with me."

"Ready to deal with your Ma and Pop?" Sarah asks putting her amrs around the smiling Jane who looks at Maura in wonder.

"My parents are here?"

"Of course, Jane. As are Frost, Korsak, Frankie and my parents. I had Kate and Sarah meet us out front to..." Maura trails off.

"Safety in numbers?" Jane finishes.

"Yes." Maura grins.

Kate's phone buzzes. She fishes it out of her coat.

"Frankie says Angela is coming out if we don't get in there ASAP." Kate says reading the screen of her phone, laughing.

Sighing all the women turn to walk into the courthouse.

Sarah turns before opening the door, "Maura I just want to say this is awesome. Seriously, really awesome." Kate nods beside her.

Jane waves her hands before grabbing Maura's cold hand tightly, "Hey. Hey, stop flattering her. We don't want her brain any bigger."

"Right." Sarah says before opening the door. "But still awesome."

Maura can't help the huge smile on her face as she wraps her arm around Jane and they walk into the courthouse.


	4. Chapter 4

It is late Sunday morning and Jane languidly stretches her legs along Maura who is sitting in between them, careful not to splash any water up and out of the tub.

"Best wedding weekend ever." Jane murmurs kissing Maura's neck softly, sinking deeper into the delicious steamy water.

Settling her arms around Maura and her belly, "OK, top three favorite things about wedding weekend." Jane asks playfully.

Maura sighs, "Well, besides this right now?"

Jane laughs, "Yes, besides now." She leaves another kiss on Maura's neck, smiling.

Putting her hands on Jane's legs under the water to adjust and steady herself, Maura starts, "Well, I loved dinner after our ceremony. Everyone together talking and loud and laughing and food…"

Turning to look at Jane, "Have I told you how much I love your family? They are crazy but they love me too. Thank you." She kisses Jane before turning back around.

Jane squeezes her. "Trust me, it's our gain." She says laughing.

"Second, having this weekend free, to be with you –movies and nakedness and no cell phones or dead bodies and pancakes and married…" Maura trails off feeling the kick of their son, "and Bennett."

"Don't forget the spritzer." Jane interjects.

Maura swats her thigh under the water, "Ha, ha. Wine is something I really miss and being able to hug you so our bodies are flush together and being the 'big spoon' as you call it."

"Last thing?"

Maura pauses thinking –so much of the weekend had been wonderful, more than she could have hoped for.

"When we were in Judge Schinler's office, I could hear your mom sniffling, saw my dad dabbing at his eyes, Kate was beaming at me while holding onto a weeping Sarah and then I looked at Frankie. He just grinned at me and gave me two thumbs up. I laughed, I couldn't help it."

"I know –I couldn't believe you laughed out loud but then when you turned back to me, you took both my hands and gave me the 'Maura nod' so I knew we were really gonna get married. I knew it was the exact right thing to do."

Maura narrows her eyes, "The 'Maura nod'?"

"Yup. It says 'I'm ready. This is happening. Don't worry.' The first time I saw it or realized what it was, was on my parent's front stoop. We were telling them about us. I was being overdramatic as usual and you took my hands, gave me the nod and told me you loved me, dragged me through the door."

Maura chuckles bringing her hands up to Jane's on her belly. "I remember that. Although I am not entirely sure you should rely on this 'nod' at all times."

"OK, noted."

"Anyway, I think that was my third favorite. The thumbs up from your brother, your face, saying 'I do'." Maura leans back more fully into Jane, sighing contentedly. "What are your three favorites?"

"Welllll…the Maura nod, laughing moment for one and being married right there with Ma and Pop plus everyone else."

Maura brings Jane's hand to her lips, kissing the knuckles.

"Thank you for letting me marry you before this baby is born." Jane whispers.

Maura nods into Jane's fingers as Jane smirks leaving another kiss behind Maura's ear.

"Anddd…I'm not ashamed to admit that you, yesterday morning, all amazing nakedness, spread out and sweaty, your delicious breasts heaving after that orgasm rolled through, my mouth still on you, your legs over my shoulders…" Jane trails off as a low moan escapes Maura's parted lips.

"Jane…I get it, please stop." Maura says squirming adorably in Jane's arms.

"What? I didn't expect to find pregnant Maura even more attractive than regular Maura and as you know I find regular Maura extremely sexy." Jane growls into Maura's ear.

"But Jane I'm so big and…"

"Stop it. You are beautiful."

"…my ankles and low heels and stretch marks and my navel…"

"Maurraa…" Jane says dragging it out. "You'll just have to trust me on this one."

Slumping back, "OK, Jane. Ready to get out? I'm pruny." Maura says eyeing her wrinkly fingers. "I'll let you put lotion on me…" She says standing up carefully, looking down at Jane, her eyes twinkly and crinkly, her mouth twitching.

"And that…" Jane says pointing at Maura's face.

"What?"

"Knowing you'll be looking at me, like that, with those eyes and love, forever. That's my last favorite thing about wedding weekend." Jane finishes, getting up and gracefully helping Maura out of their tub.

"Oh, you are such a softie. You knew it was forever, even before this weekend."

"I know." Jane says toweling her wife off.


	5. Chapter 5

Jane sits in the waiting room, head in her hands, still wearing scrubs from helping her son be born. Sweet, sweet Bennett Frank Rizzoli-Isles.

But now Bennett is in maternity and Maura is in emergency surgery, something about bleeding and complications and she was rushed out of the delivery room.

Jane is lost. She can't see Bennett yet and she doesn't know where Maura is. Her sweet, sweet Maura. She can't seem to stop the tears seeping down her cheeks. She doesn't know what she would do if something happened to Maura, she is her whole life.

She doesn't know how much time has passed, she can't stop the tears. She hears the doors swing open and feels a hand on her shoulder.

"Miss?"

Jane looks up to see a nurse with kind eyes.

"Yes?"

"Are you Jane Rizzoli?"

"Yes." Jane answers hoarsely.

"Mrs. Rizzoli is asking for you."

Jane looks at the nurse again.

"My mother?" Jane asks, not understanding.

"No, your wife."

Jane blinks her eyes trying to get her brain to catch up.

"My wife? She's OK?"

The nurse nods. "Certainly, the doctors were able to repair the tear and Mrs. Rizzoli will be fine, sore but fine. And she definitely wants to see you and I believe your son is on his way down from maternity."

Jane can't help the fresh tears of relief that course down her face as she stands up smiling at the nurse, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands, sniffling.

"I very much would like to see my wife."

The nurse nods and smiles, "Well, let's go then. Mrs. Rizzoli was pretty impatient."

Jane finally allows herself a laugh, "Oh, I'm sure she was."

Jane stands in the doorway to Maura's room where the doctor appears to be sleeping. She can see her chest rhythmically rising and falling. That movement alone is comforting to the detective.

"Jane? Get in here, sweetie." Maura rasps.

Jane strides quickly to her wife's bedside, "You're so bossy."

She leans down for a soft kiss as Maura swats her shoulder. Tears of relief and love stream down Jane's face. Maura reaches up with soft hands.

"It's OK, sweetie. I am going to be fine."

Jane sniffles, "I didn't know what was going on. You know how I hate that."

Maura runs her thumbs over Jane's cheeks.

A nurse wheeling in a bassinet interrupts murmurs of 'I love you and 'we did it'.

Both women's eyes well up at the sight of Bennett Rizzoli-Isles.

The nurse wheels him up to the side of the bed as Jane helps Maura sit up a bit, fluffing pillows.

"OK, ladies this little man is ready to meet his mamas."

Maura and Jane look at each other.

"Jane, you first. Pick him up." Maura whispers letting go of the death grip she has on Jane's hand. "Then bring him close."

Jane nods and reaches gently to pick up their bundle. True to Maura's dream he has a shock of dark brown hair. Jane is desperately hoping for Maura's green eyes. Jane thinks his nose already looks like his mother's. They had chosen a donor who mirrored Jane's attributes –tall, lanky, dark-haired and were hoping for a Rizzoli-Isles mix.

Jane ghosts her lips over the boy's forehead taking in his heady scent.

"Oh, Maura, we did it. You did it. He is amazing." She gently hands off their son into Maura's waiting arms.

Jane reaches down to wipe the tears from Maura's cheeks as her wife cradles their son close to her heart. Maura looks up smiling, "I couldn't have done it without you. He is amazing. Kiss me."

Jane will never say no to that.


	6. Chapter 6

Maura steps into the house, trying to shake the cold from her shoulders. She stops right inside the door, listening intently. She smiles at the quiet. When she had called a couple of hours earlier Bennett had been howling. Maura had offered to come home early but Jane had talked her out of it.

She placed her bags quietly on the floor and hangs up her wool coat in the closet. She takes off her heels before she heads into the living room.

Maura's chest almost explodes emotion when she sees her two loves in the living room. They are sprawled out asleep on the couch. Jane stretched out with 10-month old Bennett laid out on top of her. His little hands clutch into Jane's button-down oxford, her right arm around him, securely.

These moments never cease to amaze her, fill her up. Tender moments where all of Jane's defenses are down, when their son dismantles Detective Rizzoli so thoroughly and just leaves his momma, her wife.

Maura walks quietly towards the couch. She kneels down and smoothes Jane's forehead leaving a kiss first on Bennett's head and then on Jane's cheek. Her eyes flutter open, focusing slowly. Both of them were still sleep deprived so whenever sleep presented itself they took it.

Jane takes a waking up breath in, "Hey sweetie."

Maura smiles at her sleepy wife. "Hey there, Momma. How did we do?"

Jane carefully sits up holding the sleeping child close to her chest, her heart. He hiccups but doesn't wake up. Jane leans forward for a kiss before answering.

"OK. We had a bit of yogurt and walked around the house, both fell asleep. What time is it?"

Maura reaches over to run her hand down Bennett's back, "It's 5:30."

Jane peers at the ceiling thinking, "So, we've been asleep a little more than an hour. I think let's wake him up before we make dinner? We can eat and then he can have a bath before bed? What do you think?" Jane asks.

They'd all been working towards sleeping through the night. Bennett was being mostly cooperative, but they were being very deliberate about when he was asleep and when he was awake.

Maura nods. "I think that is a good idea," getting up and sitting on the edge of the coffee table facing Jane.

Jane leans back on the couch and sighs, smiling at her wife.

"How did your day end?"

"Not too bad. Finished the paperwork for the Lynch autopsy. I did some filing. There was nothing new by the time I left."

Jane nods, "Hmm, that's good. Leftover lasagna for dinner? Sweet potatoes and chicken for the little man?"

Maura nods as Jane stands. She whispers into Bennett's ear, jiggling him gently.

"OK, buddy –time to wake up, Mommy's home…" She hands Bennett into Maura's waiting arms, leaving a kiss on Maura's forehead. "I'll start the lasagna…you go change him?" Jane asks hopefully.

One more kiss on the cheek and Maura heads down the hall to Bennett's room already murmuring in his ear, trying to wake him.

Jane's smiling eyes follow Maura's backside down the hallway before heading into the kitchen.

Less than an hour later Jane is trying unsuccessfully to get Bennett to eat the last of his sweet potatoes while Maura clears the table of their own dishes.

Bennett is happily babbling and clapping his hands when Jane finally gives up and leaves a handful of cheerios on the tray of his high chair.

Maura sits down and pushes Jane's refilled wine glass towards her, a big smile on her face.

Jane looks up at her wife from making faces at Bennett.

"What has got you smiling?"

Maura takes a deep breath before beginning, "Well, I was shopping online earlier last week and I think I found _it_."

"You found _it_? Why didn't you tell me?" Jane asks grinning, raising her eyebrows.

Maura nods, her smile growing even wider.

"I wasn't sure." She pauses. "About the dress not about remarrying you."

Jane smirks, swatting her shoulder.

"Do you want to see it?" Maura asks nervously.

Jane's eyes are wide as she nods solemnly. "Are you sure you don't want to save it for the wedding day? You have amazing taste, I know it will be beautiful."

"I want you to see it. I want the wedding day to be about _us_, together just like the first one."

"OK, then, let's see it." Turning to look at Bennett shoving a handful of cheerios in his mouth. "Right, buddy? We totally want to see Mommy's dress."

Giving them both a huge grin, Maura disappears down the hallway towards their bedroom and comes back with a navy colored garment bag. Jane is wiping Bennett's face and pulling him out of the high chair, putting his dishes in the sink. Hearing Maura's footsteps she turns around, Bennett balanced on her hip.

Maura unzips the bag and brings out a pale yellow dress of flowy chiffon.

"It's yellow." Jane can't help but blurt, pulling Bennett's fingers out of her hair.

Maura smiles, "I know, I looked at a lot of white ones but none seemed to be just right and then I saw this one. I kept going back to it, kept looking at white ones until I realized it doesn't have to be white just amazing and this is an amazing dress."

"Maura, it's beautiful. I can't imagine what it looks like on."

"Oh, it looks even better on."

Jane chuckles, "Confident are we?"

"I know you and I know you will love this dress on and, for that matter, off." Maura says smirking up at her detective.

Jane snorts and puts Bennett in the pack-n-play where he can play with his toy cars, his latest obsession.

She walks back over to Maura and holds her face in both her hands. "So we are going to do it? This summer? Here in the yard? You'll marry me again?" Jane whispers.

"Yes, I would like that." Maura says nodding, tears gathering on her edges.

"Amazing dress, shoes and delicious wine?" Jane leaves a kiss on soft lips.

"And no spritzer." Maura says laughing, kissing Jane once more and zipping up the garment bag.

"No spritzer, ha, ha. Actually then I have a surprise for you." Jane says over her shoulder heading into the mudroom.

She comes back holding a small cardboard box.

"What is that?" Maura asks quietly, standing up from putting the toy cars back into the pack-n-play. Bennett's new game was throwing them out to see which of his momma's would put them back in. And then he clapped. And laughed, it was adorable until the 10th time he did it.

"Our wedding invitations?" Jane asks hopefully. "Kate and I met last week and I told her I hoped to get you marry me again this summer with the dress, shoes, the wine…I told her the date I was hoping for and then these showed up on my desk Monday afternoon. And now you've found the dress and…look at them. If you don't like them, its OK but…"

Maura stops Jane's rambling with a hard kiss and a tight squeeze.

"Yes, Jane, yes. It's always yes to you."

Bennett claps and squeals.

Jane laughs into Maura's lips, wrapping her arms around her. "Our son approves."


End file.
